The two brothers grew up together, and both dearly loved their parents.
Of course, they didn’t always get along, but they still heeded the corrections their parents gave, though their mother’s words did have a special weight to them. Indeed, Nura was quite a skilled teacher, and a marvelous queen.
Whenever some disaster struck, she was the beam that held the family together.
Whenever the two brothers got into such a quarrel that they refused to speak to each other ever again, she was there to gently calm their storm.
Whenever King Khayri was confused, she was there to shed some light on the subject.
Everybeast loved and valued the queen.
Though she was no Unicorn, she seemed to have a magic of her own in those moments.
Indeed, she was dearly beloved.
Tragically, all good things end.
One day, she fell gravely ill with a fever.
The doctors did all they could, but even the strongest of healing spells could not save her.
The family gathered around the bed as she laid there weakly. Usually, her light green pelt would have a brightness and lustre that reflected in the light, but now her shine was gone and her coloration was a sickly, pale hue.
Sweat beads rolled off her matted forehead and down onto the damp pillow she laid on.
At one time, her beautiful mane and tail would be in an ornate style, but now they both were tangled, dampened with her sweat and withered with her sickness.
Daud, Karam and Khayri gathered near her, watching her struggle to breathe as the light from her blue eyes was slowly ebbing away.
“My sons.. Please… please remember to listen to your father, all right? He knows what’s best for you,” Nura murmured as she felt her body weakening every moment.
Daud and Karam nodded silently, doing their best to be brave and calm under the circumstances.
Of course, Karam couldn’t remain silent for long.
“Mother! Don’t talk like that! You’ll get better; I know it!” He sniffed as he laid his head on the pillow in front of his mother’s face.
“Karam, don’t get too close,” Khayri warned as he used one of his wings to pull his son back.
“He’s right… don’t… don’t get too close,” Nura agreed as she smiled at her family with some tears in her eyes.
“Mother… we’ll… we’ll miss you,” Daud sniffed as his ears and wings drooped quietly.
“NO! SHE’S NOT GOING TO DIE!” Karam wailed as he slapped his brother with a wing.
Daud reeled back and glared at his brother, but before either could say anything, Khayri stretched a wing between them, ordering, “SILENCE!... don’t upset your mother, please.”
Nura chuckled weakly as she moved a bit on the bed, bringing her head around so she could see better.
Karam and Daud gulped and hung their heads in shame while Khayri folded his wing again.
“Ah, My Sons… you were always fighting over my love… and now you fight over my death… ha ha…” Nura commented with a sad smile as her boys slowly looked up at her, “But… I really feel I’m dying now. Don’t fight. I’m ready to go. I only wish… I could watch you two grow up… but I suppose I… I never could, anyway, heh... “
Khayri gulped quietly while his sons sniffed and wiped their noses on their wings.
At this moment, Khayri wished he hadn’t been an Alicorn.
If he had been a horse like Nura, they could’ve grown old and seen their sons grow up together, but no, even if she wasn’t dying now, she’d end up dying of old age long before Daud reached adulthood.
Such was the tragedy of being of the ancient Alicorn species.
Daud and Karam knew this too, and it made their hearts ache as they watched their mother slowly fade from life.
“I love you, Nura,” Khayri murmured as he reached over and nuzzled his wife with tears rolling down his cheeks.
“I love you too--I love all of you,” Nura sighed as she felt her heart swell with pride and thankfulness for all the wonderful memories she had. Quietly, she put out one of her legs and hugged her boys’ necks for a moment.
“I love you too, Mother,” Daud sniffed as he nuzzled his mother’s hoof quietly.
“I do too,” Karam whispered as he sniffed loudly and put a wing on his mother’s neck.
With another smile, Queen Nura the Gentle closed her eyes. She laid down and breathed one last sigh.
Khayri, Daud and Karam hung their heads.
Nearby, the servants also hung their heads and sniffed quietly, taking in deep, heavy breaths.
Silently, Khayri lowered down until he laid on the ground with his head on his wife's deathbed.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Khayri breathed a deep, shaky breath and sobbed.
Daud and Karam glanced up at each other without a word. In each other's eyes they spotted more tears, and knowing that they both were crying, they returned to hanging their heads and allowed themselves to sob out loud, laying beside their father and resting their heads on his back.
All beasts mourned.
Her patience and love would be remembered forever.
The colts didn’t even have their Destiny Marks yet, and already Death had taken their gentle, wonderful mother from them.
Now they doubly grieved the times they angered her, the times they ignored her, and the times they broke her heart.
As for King Khayri, once again he was alone.
All good things had to come to an end, which meant mourning for those left behind.